The National Paideia Center in Greensboro (North Carolina) trains teachers in learner-centered instruction. The Paideia teacher uses three techniques in a complementary cycle of instruction, integrating didactic sessions with well planned seminars and product-oriented, coached activities and projects. Three teachers describe how the Paideia…

Investigates whether studying about the nature(s) of science contribute to a prospective teachers' effectiveness as a teacher. Argues that a course studying the cultural wars over science contributes to prospective teachers' professional growth because it elicits tacit beliefs about school science as it introduces more complex understanding.…

State and federal policymakers have recently upgraded accountability rules, thrusting school leaders into uncharted, uncomfortable territory. In this scenario, principals must adopt flexible, facilitative leadership styles, model core school values, develop organizational capacity, accept heightened public scrutiny, and represent the school's…

Illustrates ways in which becoming a reader of young adult literature enriched the author's life by making her a better teacher, allowing more connections to students, increasing student involvement, broadening her view of literature in general, connecting her with a rich network of professionals, and putting her back in touch with a part of…

Staff development leading to significant improvement in student learning is results-driven, standards-based, job-embedded, and focused on teachers' content and instructional skills. The National Staff Development Council's recently adopted code of ethics aims to increase awareness of ethical issues and improve decision-making capabilities…

Describes the process of producing a valid and reliable Communication Styles Questionnaire (CSQ) that teachers of 16-19 year old students in English post-compulsory education may use to monitor and evaluate how they tend to interact with students. Considers the development, validity, and reliability of the CSQ. (CMK)

Describes programs created specifically for the personal and professional development of women faculty and administrators, discussing the rationale for such initiatives, identifying issues within the culture of higher education that are of particular relevance to women, noting challenges to the concept of women-only courses, and presenting…

Presents guiding questions developed by the U.S. Department of Education's Technology Planning Task Force. Questions revolve around creating a vision of learning, using technology to support the mission, developing a supportive infrastructure, understanding the plan's context, garnering public support, and implementing and evaluating the plan.…

Describes biases in early child care profession against home-based providers. Encourages: (1) crossing bridges to learn with and from each other; (2) crossing bridges to build a profession; and (3) building bridges between home and center-based providers. Recommends that professionalism be defined by commitment to high quality care and not…

Explores the values orientations that teachers bring with them to their tasks and addresses values and beliefs in education. Describes the Finding A Way (FAW) project and teachers' responses to an exercise that focused on the concept of white privilege. Considers implications for instruction and classroom practices. (CMK)

A study conducted demographic analyses of Maryland's early intervention data by geographic region for training implications. The data were collected from January 1, 1992 to December 31, 1995. Although there ware many areas of overlapping needs, results indicated that training needs can vary from one geographic locale to the next. (Contains…

Discusses the Maryland School Performance Assessment (MSPAP), addressing the benefits of MSPAP and the teachers' call for assistance. Focuses on the use of the Internet to (1) disseminate information about assessment to parents and students and (2) offer professional development for teachers on instructional and assessment strategies. (CMK)

Proposes six "commonplaces" characteristic of all forms of professional education, and critically examines Dewey's views of teacher education expressed in his essay "The Relation of Theory to Practice in Education" through those commonplaces. Offers proposals for conceptualizing the education of teachers in general and the…

A professional development experience introduced 102 traditional teachers from rural Michigan to constructivist pedagogy over a 3-year period. Participant comments reveal three themes: frustration with the uncertainties of changing mindsets and incorporating constructivism into practice; the usefulness of representing thoughts about constructivism…

Demands for change are pervasive in educational practice, and while they must be acknowledged, teachers also need to maintain a sense of stability. This can be accomplished by developing a professional conscience composed of five facets (as proposed by Thomas Green): craft, membership, sacrifice, memory, and imagination. Implications for teacher…